Kids Ocean Day is the culmination of a year-round school assembly program by the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education to teach school kids about how litter flows from neighborhoods to the ocean, thereby killing marine life and polluting food resources. To enhance the lesson, more than 3,500 students were taken to the beach for a cleanup and to participate in an aerial artwork, designed by a Los Angeles student and brought to life by aerial artist John Quigley. Bursch Elementary, Knox Elementary and Angeles Mesa Elementary were among the 35 Los Angeles-area schools that participated in this year’s event, on May 15 at Dockweiler State Beach.

The one-day cleanup event was created to motivate the students of Los Angeles to care about their environment and involves them in community service, while instilling good habits and stewardship.

“Bringing Los Angeles school children to the beach helped put them in touch with nature, while challenging them to recycle, reduce litter and participate in cleaning up their environment,” said event organizers.

“For many of the young people, Kids Ocean Day is their first time at the ocean. The wonder and beauty of the coast, combined with a mission to protect the natural world, is a profound experience…”

Kids Ocean Day is sponsored by the city of Los Angeles’ Stormwater Program, a project of the Bureau of Sanitation, The City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works, as well as the California Coastal Commission, Keep LA Beautiful, Spectral Q and others.